When Leo Reise Jr. entered the NHL in 1945, it marked the first time in league history that a father and son had both made it to the top. The elder Reise had put in parts of eight seasons with the Tigers, Americans, and Rangers between 1920 and 1930.

The younger Reise got his start in the updraft of his father's coaching exploits. During his bantam days, young Reise would sneak out onto the ice while his father was coaching intermediate hockey in Guelph and senior hockey in Chatham. It was there that he began his climb to the NHL.

After playing junior hockey in Brantford and Guelph, Reise joined the navy where he laced up for the naval teams in Victoria, Halifax and Winnipeg. At the close of World War II, he turned pro with the Blackhawks. In Chicago, he played parts of two seasons with frequent visits to the minors. He was then traded to Detroit in 1946, an event that marked the real beginning of his NHL career.

With the Wings, Reise played his best hockey, pumping home two overtime goals during a bitterly fought semi-finals series against the Leafs in 1950. The Wings went on the claim the Cup that year and again in 1952. During those years, Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay and Red Kelly enjoyed the headlines while Reise worked in the background, performing a great deal of the spadework that kept the Wings at the top of the standings.

In 1952, he was traded to the New York Rangers where he lasted for two more seasons before heading to the minors to round out his hockey life with the Owen Sound Mercurys in 1955.

REGULAR SEASON

PLAYOFFS

Season

Club

League

GP

G

A

TP

PIM

+/-

GP

G

A

TP

PIM

1939-40

Brantford Lions

OHA-B

12

12

4

16

36

11

9

8

17

10

1939-40

Brantford Lions

M-Cup

2

1

5

6

5

1940-41

Brantford Lions

OHA-B

10

8

7

15

32

16

12

11

23

22

1940-41

Brantford Lions

M-Cup

11

10

11

21

20

1941-42

Guelph Biltmores

OHA-Jr.

14

5

7

12

28

10

1

3

4

22

1942-43

1943-44

Victoria Navy

NNDHL

17

1

2

3

24

1943-44

Halifax Navy

NSDHL

4

0

0

0

2

1944-45

Winnipeg Navy

WNDHL

17

9

2

11

26

6

1

2

3

11

1945-46

Chicago Black Hawks

NHL

6

0

0

0

6

1945-46

Kansas City Pla-Mors

USHL

50

7

18

25

30

1946-47

Chicago Black Hawks

NHL

17

0

0

0

18

1946-47

Kansas City Pla-Mors

USHL

2

0

1

1

0

1946-47

Indianapolis Capitols

AHL

5

0

4

4

8

1946-47

Detroit Red Wings

NHL

31

4

6

10

14

5

0

1

1

4

1947-48

Detroit Red Wings

NHL

58

5

4

9

30

10

2

1

3

12

1948-49

Detroit Red Wings

NHL

59

3

7

10

60

11

1

0

1

4

1949-50

Detroit Red Wings

NHL

70

4

17

21

46

14

2

0

2

19

1950-51

Detroit Red Wings

NHL

68

5

16

21

67

6

2

3

5

2

1951-52

Detroit Red Wings

NHL

54

0

11

11

34

6

1

0

1

27

1952-53

New York Rangers

NHL

61

4

15

19

53

1953-54

New York Rangers

NHL

70

3

5

8

71

1954-55

Owen Sound Mercurys

OHA-Sr.

8

1

1

2

4

5

1

1

2

6

NHL Totals

494

28

81

109

399

52

8

5

13

68

Son of Leo USHL First All-Star Team (1946) NHL Second All-Star Team (1950, 1951)
Played in NHL All-Star Game (1950, 1951, 1952, 1953)
Traded to Detroit by Chicago with Pete Horeck for Adam Brown and Ray Powell, December 9, 1946. Traded to NY Rangers by Detroit for Reg Sinclair and John Morrison, August 18, 1952.